Serials Solutions announces development of New Web-Scale Management Solution to improve the efficiency of library operations

Press Release:
ProQuest
[June 22, 2011]

Copyright (c) 2011 ProQuest

Abstract: Serials Solutions announced the development of a new web-scale management solution that will dramatically improve workflows for librarians, further increasing productivity and quality of service to their patrons. Built entirely new from the ground up, Serials Solutions will provide librarians with a single, comprehensive service that will eventually eliminate the need for integrated library systems, improve efficiencies and address the challenges libraries experience today when managing their physical and electronic content and collections. The new Serials Solutions service will address the industry’s fundamental shift to electronic content, while still supporting librarians’ needs to manage their print and local collections. To do this, Serials Solutions will develop a solution that enables the cohesive management of a libraries’ collection, including the ability to select, purchase, catalog, circulate, compare, manage, fulfill, assess and report on their content, regardless of format. The service will also tightly integrate into the discovery process, working with the Summon™ service as well as other discovery solutions, creating an integrated, end-to-end solution.

NEW ORLEANS and SEATTLE – June 22, 2011 – Serials Solutions, a business unit of ProQuest LLC, announced today the development of a new web-scale management solution that will dramatically improve workflows for librarians, further increasing productivity and quality of service to their patrons. Built entirely new from the ground up, Serials Solutions will provide librarians with a single, comprehensive service that will eventually eliminate the need for integrated library systems, improve efficiencies and address the challenges libraries experience today when managing their physical and electronic content and collections.

The new Serials Solutions service will address the industry's fundamental shift to electronic content, while still supporting librarians' needs to manage their print and local collections. To do this, Serials Solutions will develop a solution that enables the cohesive management of a libraries' collection, including the ability to select, purchase, catalog, circulate, compare, manage, fulfill, assess and report on their content, regardless of format. The service will also tightly integrate into the discovery process, working with the Summon service as well as other discovery solutions, creating an integrated, end-to-end solution.

"We have a longstanding commitment to develop the most comprehensive services available to help libraries and librarians achieve their mission," said Michael Gersch, senior vice president and general manager for Serials Solutions. "Based on our extensive research, our history of innovation and our experience with electronic resources, we want to bring today's library systems and workflows in line with today's market needs."

With this new offering, Serials Solutions will unite the many disparate systems librarians currently use to manage their resources and provide a powerful platform from which they can assess and report on their collections. This assessment is necessary for decision-making, performance evaluation and efficient data sharing. The new service will streamline workflows and communication in the library, freeing librarians from the redundancy of data entry and other low-value activity so they can focus on mission-critical work, such as collection management, advancing information literacy among their patrons or helping individual researchers.

"Today's tools have forced librarians to create too many redundant processes to manage the entirety of their collection," said Vickie Kline, Systems Librarian and Associate Professor at York College of Pennsylvania. "Serials Solutions' approach to managing library resources provides needed relief by helping librarians to integrate these same processes, which will allow them to focus on fulfilling the library's mission to its patrons."

In addition, Serials Solutions will leverage its expertise in Software as a Service (SaaS) methodology to develop this new service, providing greater cost savings by simplifying hardware and software maintenance, and delivering service enhancements to library customers automatically and in real-time. The solution will also seamlessly integrate with systems from publishers and content providers, creating a comprehensive experience for libraries that restructures the management workflow from acquisition and collection development to streamlining budgets and catalog maintenance.

"As one of the leading providers of digital and physical content, we are committed to providing and supporting ongoing innovations that simplify and create a comprehensive workflow for libraries," said George Coe, president of library and education for Baker & Taylor. "We are excited about Serials Solutions' plans to develop this service and the impact it will have on the industry, as we believe it will help to provide valuable synergies in libraries' selection and acquisition process."

As a member of the ProQuest family of companies, Serials Solutions provides new and useful solutions that address the critical needs of librarians while creating a richer experience for library users. This new web-scale management solution is the latest innovation led by Serials Solutions, and further validates the company's unwavering promise to the library community to provide a complete suite of products designed to support the entire continuum of library services. Serials Solutions will begin releasing components of this new service by the end of 2012 on an annual subscription basis, and will release enhancements to the service as they become available throughout 2013 and beyond.

About Serials Solutions

Serials Solutions (http://www.serialssolutions.com) is the global leader in essential discovery and e-resource management solutions which are powered by a comprehensive knowledgebase. Its popular suite of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions helps improve access to and use of collections, eases librarian workloads, and ultimately reduces operating costs. Solutions include: the world-class Summon web-scale discovery service, providing instant access to the full breadth of the library's collection through a single search; the AquaBrowser discovery layer, making navigation more accessible; 360, the only integrated e-resource access and management solution; KnowledgeWorks, the authoritative e-resource knowledgebase and foundation for Serials Solutions 360; and Ulrich's, the world's most authoritative source of bibliographic and publisher information for serials and the most comprehensive source of print and electronic serials data available. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Serials Solutions is a member of the ProQuest family of companies.